Princess
by Rikkiemerson
Summary: She was invisible. Completely and totally invisible. That is, until he discovered that she was also incredibly gifted. She was the best musician he'd ever seen as well as the best writer and artist in general, and he'd had no clue she'd even existed until now. Until he stumbled upon her in that old abandoned music room.
1. Chapter 1

A/N  
New story, I just got like the best idea ever and I couldn't resist Yeeeeeaaaaaayyyyyyy!  
This is another Rucas story, strong, strong Rucas, with background Markle. Or Faya, whatever you want to call it. I know Faya/Markle isn't a popular ship, but I, for one, do believe that they should be together. Maybe that's just a me thing. Anyway, if you don't like any of the ships, major or minor, that are used in this story, you don't have to read it. Again, Markle will be a very minor ship in this story.  
I'd also like to say before I begin that this is my first AU, so it might be a little weird. This story starts at the beginning of their sophomore year of high school, in which Lucas and Riley have never met, and Farkle never met Maya and Riley. A few other minor changes to the past also occurred, but those will be explained later in the story.  
This story will contain a lot less fluff than my other GMW number, On the Subway, however, it will still be as amazing as I can possibly make it.  
One other note for the content of the story is that I'm going to try to challenge myself to do some chapters in third person. Some will be in first person (including this, the first), but I'll try to do some third person as well. I'll try not to let you guys get too lost.  
Moving on...  
Updates will be slow. Don't hold your breath for them; you'll probably pass out.  
Thanks again to all who read, favorite, follow, review, etc. any of my works. It makes me feel fabulous (although I already feel fabulous enough as is.)  
Okay, with that, the story.

I don't own anything familiar. Also there's an angry wolf behind me isn't there?

* * *

Lucas

* * *

I walked through the hallways towards the auditorium, where all the sophomores were headed, getting ready for the big first day speech that the principal always gives on the first day of school. He gets each class by it's self because there's not enough space in the auditorium for everyone, and gives a big welcome back speech.

I sat next to my friend Zay, and almost immediately there were at least six girls sitting in the seats surrounding ours.

I'm really popular at this school; ever since last year, being the star quarter back of the football team, heavily involved in the choir program, and the lead role in both the fall and spring musical, as well as top of our class for grades and student council treasurer.

I grinned at the people surrounding me.

"Welcome back, students," the loud, booming voice of our principal, Mr. Evans, rang out through the rows of sophomores.

* * *

Riley

* * *

Uck, there he goes again, Mr. Popular. He's gotta have like 20 girls around him, staring at him, and I'll bet he can't even name half of them.

"He's gotta have like 20 girls around him and I'll bet he can't even name half of them," the guy next to me said, speaking my mind. He was short and scrawny, and I vaguely recognized him as Smarkle Finkus or something like that.

My best friend Maya sat down next to me, agreeing with him.

"The kid's right, Riles. What a moron that guy is."

"Ladies," the kid said.

"What are you?" Maya asked.

"I am Farkle!" he said dramatically.

"I am Riley," I said just as dramatically.

"I don't care!" Maya blatantly stated.

"That's Maya. You'll get used to her." I reassured him.

"Yes, I will," he smiled in a really creepy way, staring at her as his eyes lit up.

"Okay, then," Maya awkwardly smiled.

"Welcome back, students," the voice of our principle made it's way through the crowded auditorium. He didn't even need a microphone to speak over the voices of almost 600 students, his voice was so naturally loud.

Everyone quieted down, anticipating his speech.

* * *

Lucas, six hours later

* * *

"One school day down, 179 to go," Zay said from beside me.

"Yup. First day is over with, though. The first day is always the hardest," I said.

"You ready for the first day of practice?" Zay asked.

"Of course, I was born ready!" I exclaimed, and he grinned.

I stopped by my locker and opened it, it took me a few tries to get the combo but I finally got it.

I grabbed out all the papers I'd need for football, but one was missing.

 _Crap, I probably left it in the auditorium after that speech this morning._

"Hey, Zay, is it okay if I meet you at the field? I think I forgot something in one of my classrooms," I told him.

"Yeah, sure, man, I'll see you there!" and with that he ran off towards the athletic center and I made my way back towards the auditorium. On the way there, however, I heard something that caught my attention. It sounded like a piano, and it was playing a familiar introduction to a song that I couldn't quite think of. I walked slowly down the hall and the sound got louder, but after I rounded the corner it got quieter.

I opened all the classroom doors, wondering where the beautiful sound was coming from, as a girl's voice started to sing a soft melody:

 _Time stands still,_

 _Colors and promises,_

 _How to be brave,_

 _How can I love when I'm afraid to fall,_

 _But watching you stand alone_

 _All of my doubt_

 _Suddenly goes away somehow._

 _One step closer..._

It was A Thousand Years. That was my favorite song! I know I sound like a girl here, but I don't care.

I came to the last door, the door to a classroom that hadn't been used in a while; an abandoned music room or something like that, and gently pushed it open. It squeaked and I cringed.

 _I have died, every day,_

 _Waiting for you._

 _Darling don't be afraid,_

 _I have loved you_

 _For a thousand years._

 _I'll love you for a thousand more._

There sat a girl at an old piano.

She was playing with no sheet music or anything, and singing perfectly. She had the absolute best voice I've ever heard in my life.

 _Heart beats fast,_

 _Beauty in all she is,_

 _I will be brave,_

 _I will not let anything take away_

 _What's standing in front of me,_

 _Every breath,_

 _Every hour has come to this._

 _One step closer._

I knew the song by heart, as well as the harmony, so I decided to jump in and sing with her.

 _I have died, every day,_

 _Waiting for you._

 _Darling don't be afraid,_

 _I have loved you_

 _For a thousand-_

She stopped suddenly.

I frowned.

"What are you doing here?" she asked without turning around.

"Why'd you stop?" I demanded in return.

She turned around.

 _Holy crap._

Holy crap, she was beautiful. Her long, flowing brown hair fell in waves over her shoulders, and her large brown eyes met my bright green ones with a surprisingly intense glare.

"You?! Why are you here, Mr. Popular?!" she shouted.

"Excuse me?!" I demanded.

"You heard me," she said.

* * *

Riley

* * *

This guy!

Uck, who does he think he is, just barging in here?! I can't believe he heard me sing and play. No one's ever heard me sing or play since I was like six.

"You heard me," I challenged him. Wow, I think this is the most I've ever spoken in one day.

"I'm here because I heard you playing my favorite song and it sounded amazing.

 _No it didn't._

"And you took that as an invitation to just barge into my personal, private space and just jump in and sing with me?!" I demanded. Man, I'm on fire!

"Kinda, yeah," he admitted bashfully.

The nerve of this guy!

His green eyes flashed even more brightly (if that was even freaking possible) and he grinned.

Ugh!

"You know what, never mind," I said, walking past him and around towards the door.

"I'll see you around, uh..." he stated, and I knew this was the part of the conversation where I was supposed to give him my name.

 _In your dreams, sucker!_

"You don't need to know my name. Nice try, but no thanks. And you probably won't see me around. I mean, I am invisible after all," I told him.

 _High five, Sassy Riley!_

I walked out the door.

"I'm Lucas," he called out after me.

"I know," I responded, without looking back.

* * *

Lucas

* * *

I can't believe her.

Why, why did she why?!

I can have any girl I want. Any girl at all. I'm _the_ most popular guy in school. It would be any girl's dream to be with me.

I finally went to the auditorium and found my missing form after a full five minutes of standing there flabbergasted, and then went to practice. After practice, I went home, ate dinner with my dad, and then did my homework and went to bed. And I didn't get any sleep at all.

Because her song, and her voice ran through my head all night long.

And that was only the beginning.

* * *

A/N  
So, first chapter!  
Looking forward to this story. I'm interested to see how it goes.  
Subway will still be top priority.  
Anyway, that's all.  
Don't forget to review!

Farkle on and be a Farkle Farkle!  
^Rikki The Fab One Out!^


	2. Chapter 2

A/N  
Wow, two days in a row! Who are you and what have you done with Rikki?!  
I'm me, no need to worry! Just have a lot of time and a lot of ideas for this story. I'm not sure where it's going yet but I really love all the positive feedback I'm getting.  
So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, as well as the fast update and short A/N. I'll try to make this chapter longer, but longer chapters are harder for me because it's harder to find a good place to end. This chapter will also be partially in third person.  
Enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review.

I do not own anything except for my fabulousness. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Riley

* * *

It was only the second day of school and I've said more words in the last two days than I did in the last two years.

And it's all because of stupid Lucas, Mr. Popular.

First, there was this morning. Ugh, it was quite an interesting morning...

* * *

 _He walked down the hallway, approaching her as she opened her locker._

 _"Hey, you," he called._

 _The majority of the hallway went silent for a second and then returned to their conversations. She, however, kept putting books in her locker, not bothering to turn around because she figured whoever it was wasn't talking to her._

 _Until she realized something:_ I know that voice!

 _"Hey, you!" he called again._

 _She still didn't react and he walked up right next to her and put his hand on her shoulder._

 _"Don't touch me," she reprimanded, and he didn't move._

 _"Hey, you," he said in that annoyingly charming way of his._

 _"Why do you keep saying that?" she asked exasperatedly._

 _"You never gave me your name, so the only way for me to get your attention is by saying that. Although... if you don't like being called that, I suppose I could come up with something better," he spoke in that infuriating tone of his._

 _"I never gave you my name because you don't need my name, because you don't need to know the name of someone invisible like me," she told him. Gee, that was a long sentence._

 _"Well, then, I've decided what I'm going to call you. I'm going to call you Princess," he smirked._

 _Oh my god, what a jerk!_

 _She groaned._

 _"Well, I'll see you around, Princess," he called, as he turned and walked off down the hallway. He walked away as a crowd of at least 40 girls gathered around him and followed him towards the science hallway._

 _"No, you won't!" she called after him, but by that point he was already gone.  
_

* * *

This morning was quite distressing, but lunch was worse.

Oh my goodness, lunch was way worse.

* * *

 _She sat down in the grass next to Maya and Farkle, out in the middle of the field and they gave her a smile and a small wave before the three of them settled into a comfortable silence, opening their packed lunches and digging in._

 _Until_ he _was there._

 _"Hey, Princess," his irritating voice spoke from somewhere behind her._

 _"Oh, crap, it's him!" she whispered to Farkle and Maya._

 _"Who's 'him' and why do we hate him?" Farkle whispered back._

 _"He's Mr. Popular, Lucas Friar, and we hate him because he thinks I'll just fall in love with him like every other sick girl in this school and that'll be the end," she whispered._

 _"You mean you haven't fallen in love with me yet, Princess?" he whispered._

 _"Aaahhh!" she half-screamed, as he placed a hand on her shoulder._

 _"No, why would anyone ever fall in love with you?" she asked sarcastically, pulling out her bag of jelly beans and picking out the pineapple flavored ones._

 _"Because I'm me. Who wouldn't fall in love with me?" he asked, giving her his best cowboy smile._

 _"Anyone with half a brain," she commented sarcastically, and internally laughed as his face visibly dropped._

 _"Or anyone at all, really," Maya added, and the pair high fived as Lucas pouted._

 _"Lucas!" that Zay kid shouted from across the field._

 _"I'm coming, Zay!" Lucas responded. "I'll catch you later, Princess," he added, his bright green eyes meeting her big brown ones._

 _"No you won't!" She blinked and he was gone, running off down the field._

 _"Wow, you're right, Riley, he is totally stupid," Maya said, taking the bag of jelly beans and eating all the ones she hadn't picked out, which were all the ones that weren't pineapple flavored.  
_

* * *

Lunch was pretty bad, but it was after school that was the worst...

* * *

 _She walked out of her eighth hour class and quickly made her way down the hall, grabbing everything she needed for homework and then going straight to her music room._

 _She pulled out her notebook and her pencil, preparing to get some writing done, when all of a sudden-_

 _"Princess!"_

 _"Ugh! Do you have to be everywhere?" she demanded._

 _"No, I only have to be everywhere you are, just often enough to get to you," he teased._

 _She pouted._

 _"It's not working," she stated blatantly._

 _He smirked._

 _"Yes it is."_

 _She sighed and closed her book; she clearly wasn't going to get any writing done today._

 _He grinned._

 _"I'd love to stay and chat, but I really need to get to practice. I'll see you later, Princess."_

 _"No, you won't," she responded, almost out of habit at this point._

 _He turned and left without another word._

 _She tried to play a song on the piano, but she couldn't seem to play any of the notes right._

 _Eventually, she gave up heading back out to her car to go home.  
_

* * *

And that was when the worst part of all occurred, out there in the parking lot.

I hate him so much after that...

* * *

 _She had a flat tire._

 _This was just what she needed._

 _Someone had slashed her back right tire._

 _Someone slashed her tire and her only spare was in her dad's car._

 _She wasn't driving anywhere today._

 _She groaned._

 _"Hey, Princess."_

 _Oh no, it's him._

 _"What's wrong?" he asked, tilting his head in an annoying (but somehow adorable) way._

 _No, Riley, stop! He is_ not _adorable._

 _"Yeah, I got a flat," she told him. Why did she tell him that?_

 _"Oh, I don't have a spare on me, but I'd be happy to give you a ride home today and then bring you back early tomorrow morning with an extra tire so we can replace it. You can just leave your car here tonight."_

 _Wow, did he really just do something that nice? Mr. Popular, really?!_

 _"Yeah, okay," she found herself accepting his offer before she let herself think, and she groaned internally._

 _She followed him to his minivan, yes_ minivan, _and got in the passenger seat._

 _She couldn't believe Mr. Popular drove an old, beat up minivan._

 _Once he started driving, she told him where to turn as she pulled out her pineapple scented hand sanitizer and rubbed some on her hands, followed by pineapple scented lotion._

 _He pulled out his phone when they stopped at a red light._

 _"Mind if I play some music?" he asked, pulling up a music app._

 _"Go ahead," she invited, and he did. Some a cappella band started playing and she actually laughed._

 _"Oh my god, Mr. Popular likes a cappella!" she giggled._

 _"What can I say, they're good. They also remind me of home," he told her._

 _"And where is home, exactly?" she asked._

 _"Texas," he stated simply._

 _"Mr. Popular is from Texas? HA!" she laughed harder._

 _"You have an amazing laugh," he told her._

 _She frowned._

 _"Stop it!" she told him._

 _"Oh come on Princess, you know you love me," he teased her._

 _"Turn left here," she instructed, and he did._

 _"Hey, this is my neighborhood," he told her._

 _"No_ way!" _she gasped._

 _"Yeah, that's my house, right there," he pointed to a house on the right side of the street._

 _"And there's mine," she told him, pointing out the house that was four doors down and on the opposite side of the street from his. He pulled into her driveway._

 _"Thanks for the ride," she told him._

 _"No problem, Princess. I'll see you around," he responded as she got out of the car and walked towards her front door._

 _"No, you won't!" she called._

 _"Oh, I think I will," he told her, and she turned and stuck her tongue out at him before going inside._

Yup, definitely hate that guy.

* * *

Today was an interesting day. I've said more words in the last two days than I have in the last two years.

And it's all thanks to Mr. Popular, Texas Cowboy, the irritating, infuriating, Lucas Friar.

* * *

A/N  
So, what do you think?  
I really liked that chapter!  
Anyways, thanks for reading.  
Don't forget to review.

Zone on and be a Zany Zamboni!  
^Rikki the Fab One Out!^


	3. Chapter 3

A/N  
I know this is definitely the fastest I've ever gotten three consecutive chapters of a story up. I'm so proud! *Sniffles*  
Anyway, I have a lot of ideas for this story, and I'm not sure how to put them all down yet. This chapter may be slightly shorter because I'm going to try to set it up for the next chapter. I know exactly how I'm going to end it, but I don't really have any plan for this chapter other than the ending yet. I'm just going with it.  
Well, that's all I have to say for now, so on to the chapter!

I don't own anything recognizable.

* * *

Lucas

* * *

I walked up behind her and saw the picture magnet-ed to her locker door, looking at it as an opportunity.

"Hey, Princess, you have a picture," I told her.

"Yeah. And?" she demanded curtly.

"You know, you can tell a lot about a person from a picture," I pointed out.

"Okay, like what?" she asked.

"That one's you?" I asked, pointing out a young-looking version of her. She nodded.

"I'm going to guess you were about seven at that point?" she nodded again.

"Okay, let's see. The tiny one next to you is your younger brother. The blonde girl is your best friend, the tall guy behind you is your cousin and the older guy is your dad. You were in a place with mountains, probably Colorado, and this picture was taken in later September or early October, judging by the colors of the leaves on the trees." I said.

"How did you- Okay, well, the guy behind me is actually my uncle, but other than that...wow." she corrected.

The bell rang and the hallway cleared out, but the two of us just stood there.

"Like I said, you can tell a lot about a person from a picture," I whispered, smirking.

"Get to class!" a teacher yelled, and the two of us ran off to our first period classes.

* * *

Later that day

* * *

I found her all alone in her music room for lunch today instead of outside on the field with her friends. She wasn't playing music, just writing in a notebook. At first I thought she was just taking notes for a class, but as I approached her, I realized that what she was writing was a story, as in a real story. It had page numbers on the top corners and she was up to 94.

"Hey," I said, and she jumped.

"What do you want?" she sighed. I smirked.

"I just want to talk to you. I've been meaning to ask you something," I informed her.

"Oh? I thought you knew everything about me from that picture, but I guess not. Go ahead, ask me whatever you want," she said.

"I didn't say I'd learn everything about you, I just said I could tell a lot about you."

"Okay. So what did you want to ask me?" she asked, and I grinned.

"Why haven't I ever heard you play before? You're amazing and talented, why don't you perform?" I asked, curious.

"I told you already, I'm invisible," she told me, obviously hiding something.

"It's deeper than that," I pointed out, internally laughing as she cringed.

"Fine," she sighed, "might as well tell you. As you probably don't know, this school is heavily athletic based. I mean, you're in football and all. So about five years ago, in our sixth grade year, they started cutting music and art classes. Now, all we have left is pretty much just marching band, an underfunded after-school drama-club, a small choir department, and one actual art teacher. This school, and all the people in it, are extremely athletic, and I am extremely...not."

"So? You're one of the best musicians I've ever seen," I told her.

"You wouldn't understand. You're not a musician," she told me and I scoffed.

"You really think that?" I asked her, picking up the guitar that was sitting in the corner, looking like it hadn't been touched in years.

"Of course, you're a football player. There's no way you could possibly be-" I cut her off by playing the intro to _I lived_ by One Republic.

She frowned.

 _Hope when you take that jump, You don't fear the fall._

 _Hope when the water rises, you build a wall._

 _Hope when the crowd screams out, they're screaming your name._

 _Hope if everybody runs, you choose to stay._

"How did you-that's my favorite song," she whispered.

I kept going.

 _Hope that you fall in love, and it hurts so bad._

 _The only way you can know, is give it all you have._

 _I hope that you don't suffer, but take the pain._

 _I hope when your moment comes, you say._

She gave me a small smile, then started singing, her voice gently floating over the melody as she sang the harmony, perfectly in tune with me.

 _I, I did it all,_

 _I I did it all._

 _I owned every second that this world could give,_

 _Saw so many places, the things that I did,_

 _Yeah, with every broken bone,_

 _I swear I lived._

At this point she was widely smiling and giggling slightly as she moved closer to me.

 _Hope that you spend tour days, but they all add up._

 _And when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup._

 _Oh, o-ooh,_

 _And I wish that I could witness, all your joy, and all your pain._

 _But until my moment comes, I'll say,_

 _I, I did it all._

 _I, I did it all._

 _I owned every second that this world could give,_

 _Saw so many places that this world could give,_

 _With every broken bone, I swear I lived._

We both stopped, our faces less than an inch apart.

"Princess," I breathed.

"It's...it's Riley," she whispered.

"Noted," I whispered back, "but I think I'll call you Princess."

She scoffed, and I smirked,and just as I was leaning towards her, the sound of her phone ringing broke the two of us apart and we quickly jumped away from each other.

"Hey, Maya, what's up?"

 _I finally broke her._

* * *

Riley

* * *

"Hey, Maya, what's up?" I spoke into my phone, shaking out my arms to try to shake off that feeling that I just got from having Lucas' face so close to mine.

"Riley, we- um, we need to talk," she choked out.

"Maya, what's wrong, what's going on?" I asked.

"Can you meet me in the loft?" she answered my question with a question.

"Sure, two minutes," I said, hanging up.

"I'm sorry, Lucas, but I'm going to have to take a rain check," I told him. "I'd be happy to have lunch with you any other day, or play some music, but my best friend needs me today, so I can't."

"Okay. I'll see you around," he responded.

"No you won't," I said, although it was more of a joke now.

I quickly walked up the stairs and into the loft, the little area above the gymnasium, with bleachers where people could watch sports games and where all the freshman and sophomores sat during assemblies and pep rallies.

Maya was already there.

"What's wrong, Peaches?" I asked softly.

"My mom got a job offer," she sobbed.

"That's great, why are you sad?" I asked.

"It's in...in Seattle," she whispered.

"You're leaving me?" I asked.

"I'm sorry," she said, staring at her feet.

* * *

A/N  
So, that's the new chapter. It's really late at night, so I'm going to sleep.  
I hope you liked the chapter. Please feel free to review!  
Goodnight, y'all!

Move on and be an awesome penguin!  
^Rikki The Fab One Out!^


	4. Chapter 4

A/N  
Yay, new chapter! I'm getting these up extremely fast and I'm thinking that the streak is going to end soon. Then again, with the number of reviews I'm getting on this and the number of people who are asking for more, it might not (hint hint, wink wink, review please)  
Anyway, this chapter gets a little on the sad side. Unfortunately I can't write all fluff all the time (although On the Subway makes it seem like I can), so this chapter gets a little darker. I'm really sorry to do this to you, but a huge part of my central plot is a tragedy happening to Riley. (Spoilers from the future: rest assured, Maya does come back eventually.)  
Anyways, I'm really working hard on this. Please enjoy the chapter, and feel free to review.

I own none of the familiar things in this story, only the plot of the story.

* * *

Riley

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Riley, but I have to leave. I have two options here: go with my mom, who can guarantee a safe place for me to live and enough food for me to eat, or I can stay with my dad, who's stupid and abusive and can't provide for me. I have to go, Riles, I'm sorry," Maya said from the seat next to me. It had been a month since she told me she was leaving and this was the hardest car ride of my life, the car ride to drop her and her mom off at the airport.

The car stopped.

"Come on, Riles, help me get my stuff out of the back of the car," Maya instructed, and I did.

She opened her arms and I gave her a hug.

"Don't leave me, please," I whispered.

"I'm sorry, Riley. I have to," she whispered back.

"No," I muttered.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"No. Please, Maya, please don't," I pleaded.

"I'm so, so sorry," she apologized.

"No. Please, no. Please don't leave me. Don't do the same thing Uncle Josh did, please. Maya, please," I sobbed.

"Riley, please don't make this harder for me. Please, just let me go."

I squeezed her tighter.

"Riley, I have to go," she sniffled.

"Don't! Don't go! Please," I cried.

"Riley, sweetie, you need to let her go," my dad said from behind me.

"No," I said, glaring at him.

"Okay, come on," he said, grabbing me by the waist and dragging me off of her.

"No!" I shouted.

She turned and walked away, never once looking back.

"No! No, please, Maya come back," I shouted.

"Come on, honey, let's go home," my dad said.

"Come back," I sobbed.

My dad dragged me towards the car as Maya disappeared into the crowd.

"Don't touch me," I said, struggling out of his grasp and running into the airport. He quickly caught me and lifted me over his shoulder, and in spite of my punching and kicking and screaming and flailing, he didn't put me down until we were back in the car, at which point I went completely still and put a vacant expression on my face in order to avoid crying.

We got home and I immediately went to bed, although I didn't sleep, and the next morning, I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed.

* * *

Lucas

* * *

"Princess!" I called, walking around to the back of her house and going across her backyard until I saw what I assumed was her bedroom window. I crawled through and discovered I was right; I found myself in the bay window of a girl's bedroom.

"Princess?" I asked cautiously.

A groan from the bed was the response I received.

"How did you get in?" she muttered.

"Window," I said simply.

Her head appeared out from under her covers.

"You need to talk to us. You need to trust us. You need to take a shower," I told her, moving to sit on the bed and gently placing my hand on her shoulder.

"She's gone," Princess whispered. "Maya's gone. She left me, just like he did six years ago."

This had to have something to do with that, and now was a good time to press her on it, gently.

"Princess...why don't you ever share your talent? Why don't you perform?" I asked softly.

She frowned, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Well...you know that picture you saw in my locker?" she asked hesitantly. "The one from Colorado? The, uh, the guy behind me...he was my Uncle Josh. He-he taught me everything I know about music. When I was two, he put me in front of a keyboard and let me just bang around on it. When I was three, he taught me the notes and the fingers and all that, and eventually I started learning songs and scales. My first performance was my fourth birthday. He played a little duet with me. Of course, he was way better than me, but he was right next to me, so nothing else mattered.

"I started to play on a competitive level right after I turned five. Josh came to every performance. When I was seven, I went to nationals. My dad flew out to Los Angeles with me; it was my first performance without Uncle Josh by my side. My dad face timed everyone back home when it was my turn to play. I aced it, I won. I remember the flight home, bouncing off the walls because I was so excited to show Uncle Josh my big giant trophy. But when I got home, I found out that Josh was moving away. I remember taking him to the airport, and holding on to him so tight, and then my dad finally pulled me off him and he said, 'Riley, don't ever stop making music. You have the best gift in the whole world, so use it to make the world better.' And then he turned around and walked away, and I was screaming across the terminal for him to stay, but he never once looked back. After that day, I promised myself that I wouldn't ever let anyone hear me play again until Josh was there, too. That the next person to watch me perform would be my Uncle Josh. I've been practicing the last six years, but I haven't performed ever since that day."

I frowned. "Oh, Princess," I whispered.

"Thank you, Lucas," she said, moving closer to me so her face was less than an inch from mine.

"For what?" I asked her.

"For showing me that I can perform without him. He's probably never coming back, and you showed me that I don't have to save my gift for him anymore. I can perform if and when I want to," she breathed.

I smiled. "I'm happy to hear that, Princess," I whispered, and her lips touched mine, if only for an instant, but it still somehow drove me insane.

"Thank you, Lucas," she repeated.

"I hope you know how special you are," I said, and our lips met again, her arms wrapping around my neck as my fingers became entangled in her hair.

 _I really do hope you share your gift with the world._

* * *

A/N  
New chapter, yay! Don't expect this update streak to last, the next one could be up anytime between tomorrow and October.  
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. I want to know if you guys want more Rucas fluff or more of the raw emotional side of things, so feel free to let me know what you think. Review or PM me, just let me know.  
Anyway, that's pretty much it for now.  
See you eventually!

Dream on and be a giggling porcupine!  
^Rikki The Fab One Out!^


	5. Chapter 5

A/N  
New update, yay!  
I can't believe I'm getting these up so fast. I will get a new chapter up for On the Subway soon, probably senior prom if I had to guess but I really don't know. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and feel free to review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am not responsible if you decide to sell all of your possessions and become a hobo due to the fact that I own nothing! Thank you for reading.

* * *

Lucas

* * *

"Farkle, Zay, I need your help on something, okay?" I said to the two boys who were following me towards Riley's music room.

"Yeah sure, man, happy to help with whatever you need," Zay said as Farkle nodded.

"I need you guys to promise me you won't tell anyone about this room or anything that you may see, hear, or do inside," I told them.

"Lucas, what is this about?" Farkle asked, as I opened the door to Riley's music room. She looked up at me and grinned, her smile sending shivers down my spine and through my body.

"This is about her," I told them.

She motioned the three of us inside and we all sat on the floor, since the only chair in the room was the small bench by the piano.

I smiled as I watched her sit down and gently touch the keys, soft enough that it made no sound.

"It's okay, Princess, I'm right here," I encouraged her.

She sighed, then gently struck the keys, hitting the first chords from _Don't Stop Believing._

I smiled as Farkle and Zay both sat shocked, just like I had been a month and a half ago when I first came into this room.

 _Just a small town girl,_

 _Livin' in a lonely world._

 _She took the midnight train_

 _Going anywhere._

 _Just a city boy_

 _Born and raised in South Detroit,_

 _He took the midnight train_

 _Going anywhere._

That perfect voice of hers filled the room, and I saw a hint of a smile on her face as she kept singing.

 _A singer in a smoky room,_

 _The smell of wine and cheap perfume_

 _For a smile they can share the night,_

 _It goes on and on and on and on._

 _Strangers, waiting_

 _Up and down the boulevard_

 _Their shadows searching in the night._

 _Street lights, people_

 _Living just to find emotion,_

 _Hidin' somewhere in the night._

She hit the last note of the chorus beautifully, then cut it off and kept going.

 _Working hard to get my fill,_

 _Everybody wants a thrill,_

 _Paying anything to roll the dice,_

 _just one more time._

 _Some will win, s_ _ome will lose._

 _Some are born to sing the blues._

 _Oh the movie never ends,_

 _It goes on and on and on and on._

 _Strangers, waiting,_

 _Up and down the boulevard_

 _Their shadows,_

 _Searching in the night._

 _Streetlights, people,_

 _Living just to find emotion._

 _Hiding, somewhere in the night._

She smiled as she went into the chorus.

 _Don't stop believing_

 _Hold onto that feeling_

 _Streetlights, people_

 _Don't stop believing_

 _Hold on to that feeling_

 _Streetlights, people_

 _Don't stop believing,_

 _Hold on to that feeling_

 _Streetlights, people..._

She hit the high note hard and it sounded amazing.

Damn, this girl's got range.

 _Don't stop believing._

She ended the song with a strong chord and the three of us applauded vigorously.

"Riley, I had no idea you were that amazing," Farkle told her, and she smiled.

"Wow, if Lucas wasn't completely infatuated with you I'd be throwing myself at you right now," Zay admitted, and I punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" he complained.

I smiled.

"I'm going to try to get her to perform for everyone, but I'm thinking that she shouldn't do it alone. I was thinking she and I could sing something together. She'll play the piano and I'll use a guitar," I explained. "I'm just not sure which song to do," I told them.

"I got nothing, but I'm sure you'll think of something," Zay encouraged, and I smiled.

"Yeah we will. I'm looking forward to this, it'll be fun. I was hoping the two of you would be like our sound crew, or whatever you want to call it. Basically, you run the technology and make sure we sound good and all that," I said, and they both accepted happily.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and the hallways filled with the loud voices of high school kids.

"I'll see you later, Princess," I said, heading towards the door.

"No, you won't," she told me, completely joking.

* * *

Later that day

* * *

I was with Riley, at her house, the two of us just laying upside down on the foot of her bed. A month ago, if you'd told me I'd be laying upside down with the best musician in the world, I would've laughed in your face. Or punched you. Or both. Probably both.

"What are we?" she asked suddenly.

"What do you want us to be?" I asked her.

"I don't really understand the importance of labels, but at this point, I think that I want us to be there for each other," she told me, and I smiled.

"That sounds good to me, as long as I can do this," I said, leaning towards her and catching her lips with mine.

She smiled and I fell in love with that smile a thousand times over.

My phone rang; my ringtone was Standing Outside the Fire, my favorite song from Face.

I answered it, it was Zay.

"Hey, Man, just thought I'd let you know that we're all going out for ice cream after the game tomorrow. We just decided, and since you're not here, I thought I'd tell you," he said.

"Thanks, Zay, I'll be there," I responded.

"You're with that Princess girl again, aren't you?" he asked. I could hear all the football players laughing in the background.

"No!" I lied and quickly hung up.

"I can't believe your ringtone is Face," Riley told me.

"Yeah, they're my favorite band," I told her.

"Really?! Oh, my gosh, me too! I never thought I'd find someone else as in love with that kind of music as me, I mean really. These days, all most people care about is all that heavy metal crap with the frighteningly loud drums that vibrate your body on the quietest possible volume setting," she gushed, and I smiled.

It's no wonder I'm in love with this girl, she's as crazy as me.

"Hey, Princess. Why do you keep saying that you're invisible?" I asked her.

"I mean, I guess part of it is that nobody really seems to know I exist," she told me. "Partly because I stopped performing, and partly because it's easier for me if nobody knows I exist. I mean, the moment they realize I'm there, they for some reason decide that they feel the need to be mean to me."

I frowned.

"How could anyone ever be mean to you? You're so... perfect," I told her.

"I know that, and you know that, but they don't," she said.

"Oh, well, maybe we just need to show them that," I told her.

"Yeah, maybe. Let's change the subject, please," she asked, and I did.

We talked aimlessly for another good three hours, and throughout those three hours, the voices of Face were flooding out of my phone and hers, playing the best songs, performed by the best voices. We sang along to several of them, and I was starting to realize that she truly did have a huge range vocally and a great voice. She could hit a low B flat, close to the bottom of the bass clef, and she could go up to the B above the treble clef.

That was at least ten notes wider than my range, although I could sing a bit lower than she could.

And she could hold a pitch like nobody's business. I mean, it was ridiculous. She'd sing along to the harmony on half those songs and hold the pitch regardless of what the other notes were.

Eventually, I had to go home. I decided to call Riley's younger brother Auggie. He was a freshman at our school and he was on the football team, although he didn't play that often, I still considered him to be a friend.

He picked up.

"Hey, Lucas, what's up?" he asked casually.

"Hey, so you know your sister?" I asked.

"You mean Riley?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm trying to help her with something. I was just wondering why she's so... unsociable," I asked.

"Well...it's not an issue of confidence, at least not of confidence in herself. She's hands down the most self-confident person I've ever met. Sometimes she's even too confident in herself. It's just the matter of having confidence in other people that she struggles with. She doesn't believe people can be nice. She's had some...bad experiences in the past, and now she doesn't really trust people," he told me.

"I see. Well, I can promise you, I'm going to make sure that she can trust me. I'm going to get her performing again," I told him.

"Really?! That's great! It's been, like eight years since the last time anyone heard her play," he told me.

"I'll let you know when we schedule a performance," I told him.

"Yeah, you gotta tell me as soon as you get it scheduled," he instructed.

"You'll be the first to know," I promised.

"I have to go, but I'll see you later. Thanks again, Lucas," Auggie said.

"Goodnight, Man," I said, then hung up.

I then went to sleep, dreaming of my Princess and her beautiful, perfect face, and her beautiful, perfect voice.

I was quickly falling for her.

You can't force yourself to fall, but you can't stop yourself once you start. It hurts, but it's the best feeling in the whole world, and you never know when or where you'll land.

My Princess. I was falling hard for her. All I could hope for was that she'd catch me.

* * *

A/N  
So, I'm thinking about changing the title of this story to Princess. That'll probably happen right after the next chapter goes up, so just a heads up, the title _might_ change.  
I'm so happy that I'm getting so many chapters up so fast, but I'm really thinking that'll stop any day now. The next one could be anytime between 10 minutes from now and a year from now, no joke, I've had both before.  
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Please review! It really helps. Thanks for reading. Also if you have any suggestions for songs for them to perform, leave it in a review or PM me if you really want.  
That's it for now, thanks again.

Sing on and be a human bean!  
^Rikki The Fab One Out!^


	6. Chapter 6

A/N  
Hey, guys, I'm back!  
I'm going to get back to Subway eventually, but I still have several ideas for this story that I want to write out first, so it'll be at least another 2 or 3 chapters of this before I go back to anything else.  
So, anyway, I hope you like the new chapter.

I do not own Girl Meets World or any related characters, logos, story lines, etc. I only own this story.

* * *

Lucas

* * *

"Hey, have you guys seen Riley?" I asked Farkle and Zay.

"Nope, haven't seen her all day," Zay told me.

"She wasn't in first, fourth, or fifth hour, so I just assumed she was out sick or something. I figured you'd know, but I guess not," Farkle added.

"It's okay, I'm going to call her," I said, and I did.

She didn't pick up, so I called the only other person who might know where she was: Maya.

She answered, and she told me that Riley was probably at the research center in the Renee Lake Open Space, so I told Zay to cover for me at practice and went out to my car and drove down there, in spite of the fact that it was the middle of sixth hour.

I got there and parked my car, and walked through the gentle rain towards the tall wildlife conservation research center.

"Hi," a guy greeted from behind a large desk in the lobby, "how can I help you?"

"Has someone named Riley Matthews come through here today?" I asked.

"Yeah, she's up on the roof," he told me.

"The roof?" I questioned.

"I wouldn't go up there if I were you," he advised, but I ignored him and headed up the staircase, going up seven flights of stairs before emerging onto the uncovered roof, out into the rain, where Riley sat playing her guitar.

"Hey, Princess," I said, and she jumped, a high pitched yelpish-squeak escaping her lips as she turned and faced me.

"Lucas...how did you find me?" she demanded.

"Maya," I said simply, and she smiled softly.

"Princess..." I started, and she set down her guitar and walked towards me.

"I can't believe you found me here," she whispered.

"I was worried about you," I told her, and she smiled. "Hey, I got you something," I pulled out the box, giving her my smile.

She gently opened the box and as soon as she saw the gold chain necklace inside, her face morphed into a deep frown.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, and I frowned.

"Do what?" I asked her, and she scoffed.

"Do that thing where you give a girl some expensive-looking jewelry and that stupid fake smile, and just assume she's going to fall in love with you?! You make me sick!" she shouted.

"Wha-what is this, what are you doing?" I stammered, confused. Usually one piece of jewelry and a smile was enough to make a girl pass out on the spot or scream, or both.

"Princess," I argued.

"No. You know what, just leave me alone," she told me, and turned around, picking up her guitar.

"No way, Princess. Come on, why don't you show me around the lake. This is going to turn into a thunderstorm soon and we don't want to be on the roof for that," I said, and she reluctantly put her guitar in it's case and propped it against the door frame before following me back down the staircase and outside, towards the lake.

She smiled, and I wanted to freeze that smile and plaster it into my eyeballs.

"There's not really that much to see around here, just a lake with a path around it," she told me.

"Oh. Okay," I said, and she stopped next to a willow tree.

"This is my favorite tree in the world," she said, and I smiled.

"Stop it!" she shouted.

"Stop what?" I demanded.

"Stop with the stupid smile and the creepy weird look that you think every girl will fall in love with."

"I do not," I said defensively, and the next thing I knew, she was in the lake.

"What was that for?!" I demanded.

"I do not," she mocked, laughing.

"Are you mocking me?" I teased.

"Maybe," she said, and I started splashing around.

"Princess, I can't swim," I called, and she jumped in after me.

"Lucas!" she shouted.

"Just kidding!" I laughed, and she splashed me.

"Hey!" she shouted, as I splashed her back, and we started a splash war.

"I hate you!" she joked.

"I love you too, Princess," I said, only half joking.

After a few minutes, we got out of the lake and back in the chilly, humid air.

I shivered, but she seemed fine.

"You're not cold?" I asked.

She smiled. "Nope."

We fell into a comfortable silence.

"You know, Princess, this is nice," I told her, breaking the silence.

"What?" she asked.

"This, this place, being here," I said. "For the first time in years, there's no coaches, no college scouts, no crazy cheerleaders wanting to go out with me. For the first time in years, I can be...me."

"Wow...I had no idea," she whispered, moving closer to me.

"Princess..." I said softly, and she leaned closer, until her nose was touching mine, and our lips met for a single instant before thunder rumbled across the sky.

"Come on, Lucas, let's go home," I said, and we walked back out to the parking lot.

We stopped in between our cars, which were parked right next to each other. I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her deeply, before getting in my car and driving home.

And for the first time in years, I felt like a real person.

* * *

A/N  
I know this chapter is shorter, it's almost like a filler chapter. I'll have the next one up soon, I hope. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Don't forget to review.  
Anyway, that's all.

Love on and be a bright puppy!  
^Rikki The Fab One Out!^


	7. Chapter 7

A/N  
So, I renamed this story. Sorry for any confusion that may have caused (Honestly, it probably confused me more than you, but it's okay!)  
Anyway, I'm getting another new chapter up today. At this rate, I'll be at Chapter 10 by the 1st of June, which is a new record for the number of chapters I've gotten up and a new record for update speed. Seriously, though, this was published less than a month ago.  
Anyway, for this chapter... pay attention to this one. It has a few seemingly minor details that will probably be useful to remember in later chapters. It's also my best chapter yet, at least for this story. It's also pretty short, sorry. Anyway, enjoy!

I would just like to say that I don't own Girl Meets World or any related characters, logos, etc. Also, I am fabulous! You may now applaud vigorously.

* * *

Lucas

* * *

I was beginning to get used to the smell of pineapple constantly lingering in the air around me, because pineapple was Riley's favorite things. She used pineapple scented lotion, hair products, hand sanitizer, and even room spray in her bedroom. Everything she ate was pineapple flavored, except for actual pineapple, which she consumed in excessive quantities. Every time she was nearby, the whole room smelled like pineapple, and every time I kissed her, I enjoyed that flavor as well.

So it was a huge surprise when that smell was missing.

Of course, I immediately left to go find her. I found her in her music room.

She wasn't singing today, only playing. She played an unfamiliar chord progression, stopping and starting. I opened the door and went in, and I realized that she was writing a song.

"Hey, Princess, you writing something?" I asked.

"I, uh... yeah, but it's not any good," she told me.

"Oh, I'm sure it's great," I reassured her.

"Not really," she said.

"Maybe you can show me sometime?" I asked.

"I don't think so," she said.

"Alright," I said, dropping it for the moment. Her innocent, brown eyes met my emerald green ones and she smiled, the smile I was falling more and more in love with.

"Princess, I got you something," I told her, pulling a bag out of my backpack.

"It's not some stupid jewelry this time, right?" she asked. "Because if it is, I don't want it."

"Nope. I got you a bag of pineapple flavored jelly beans," I said, handing her the bag. The smile on her face was the best moment of my life a million times over.

"How did you... How did you know?" she whispered.

"Well...the second day of school, during lunch, I noticed you pulled out all the pineapple flavored jelly beans. You always smell and taste like pineapple, and you're always eating something pineapple flavored. So I figured you must have some kind of... I don't know, you just seem to really love them," I trailed off, realizing that I was rambling.

She smiled and stood up, walking closer to me.

"I do, I really do love them. Pineapple is my favorite of everything... Except for you," she whispered, touching her nose to mine.

"I do, too. I love the way you always smell like pineapple, and you're my favorite everything," I whispered, watching her cheeks flush as her face lit up in a sheepish grin, her lips meeting mine.

After a moment, the bell rang, interrupting us, and breaking us apart.

"I'd better... get to class," she whispered breathlessly.

"I'll see you later, Princess," I teased.

"No you won't," she joked.

She left and turned down the hallway, walking towards her next class.

My favorite, my beautiful...

My princess.

* * *

A/N  
So that's it.  
Feel free to review.  
Thanks for reading.

Speak on and be a lovable dog!  
^Rikki The Fab One Out!^


	8. Chapter 8

A/N  
New chapter! My update streak ended but now I'm back. Yay!  
I hope you like this chapter. It's the most fluff I've gotten in this story so far. Please enjoy!

*I do not own anything recognizable, _except your soul! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!  
_ Thanks for reading!

* * *

Lucas

* * *

Riley's belief in other people's ability to be kind; that was why she was so reluctant to trust me.

It was because she'd lost faith in people.

I had to find a way to break that.

Maybe I've been approaching this the wrong way. Maybe if I can trust her, then she can trust me.

I would have to do something big to show her that I trust her, but what...?

My most treasured possession?

That's it.

That's what I'll show her.

My collection, my pride and glory...

God, I'm such a nerd.

* * *

I led Riley down to the basement of my house, where I kept my massive collection of pennies.

"This is my life right here," I told her, as she looked around. She looked confused.

"I collect pennies," I explained. "See, each year has a different penny. This one is from 1942," I said, pointing out one of my favorites, "and this one was made in 1920."

She smiled.

"That's cool," she said.

"The only one I could never find was the 1922. I've spent my entire life searching for it but I never found it," I said slowly.

"So, why do you collect pennies, of all things?" she asked.

"It just fascinates me, how something of so little value can have so many variations, which can be worth so much. I mean, to someone like you, each of these is worth exactly one cent, but then I look at them and I think they're priceless," I said sheepishly, and she grinned.

"Wow," she breathed.

I pulled an object out of my pocket; a bracelet I'd made by gluing together some of my more common coins.

"I made this for you; I hope you know I trust ypou," I told her, handing her the bracelet.

She smiled widely. "You're finally learning how to give a girl gift," she whispered.

* * *

A/N  
Okay, super short chapter here. But, oh the FLUFF!  
Anyway, no clue when my next update will be. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review! Thanks!  
That's about it for today. Happy Friday, guys!

Inspire on and be a smiley cat.  
^Rikki The Fab One Out!^


End file.
